Life in the Ocean
by DisneyFan2002
Summary: A series of one-shots about Dory and her parents lives in the ocean. Some chapters will be about Dory, and some chapter will be about her parents. Please, no mean or rude reviews.
1. A New World

Chapter 1: A New World

 **A/N**

 **Happy Halloween, guys! I hope you all had a happy Halloween! I know I did. I got a lot of candy, and I dressed up as Minnie Mouse. So, I decided to post this story. Like in the summary, it's about Dory and her parent's new lives in the ocean. Enjoy! :D**

Dory's parents tucked her in bed for the night. They kissed her goodnight and swam to bed.

The fry closed her eyes and went to sleep, not knowing the huge change that would happen to her in the future.

Later on at night, Dory was singing softly in her sleep. Her magenta eyes opened when she heard her mother crying.

"Mommy?" She looked down, seeing her parents.

"What's gonna happen to her?" Jenny asked between tears.

"There, there, Jenny," Charlie said softly, touching his wife's fin.

"Oh, no, don't cry, Mommy, don't cry," she said quietly.

"Do you think she can make it on her own, Charlie?"

"Oh, honey, it'll be okay," he assured.

Dory looked away from her parents and saw a big purple shell lying on the sand.

The young girl had a determined look in her eyes. "Mommy loves purple shells." She swam closer to the shell, forgetting about the undertow.

Dory tried to lift it up with her tail, but it was too heavy for her.

Her parents called their daughter's name when they don't see her in bed.

"Dory?" Jenny shouted.

"Dory?" Charlie called.

"Dory!" Jenny shouted again as she and her husband swam to their daughter.

"Mommy?" Dory saw her parents, but the undertow sucked in her in the pipes.

"Dory!" they shouted as they watched their poor little girl in the pipes.

"Mommy! Daddy!" she yelled as she panted fearfully.

The pipes lead Dory into the ocean. The poor fry was lost and scared. Dory looked around nervously, seeing a whole bunch of kelp. She was in the kelp forest.

Dory decided to get help, so she yelled, "Hello?"

The other fish didn't hear her, so she got closer to them, hoping to get help.

Back in the institute, Jenny was crying loudly to her husband. "Oh, my poor little girl! She's out there all alone!"

"Shhh, sweetheart, please don't cry. We'll find her." Charlie gently stroked her dorsal fin.

Jenny wiped her tears away and sniffed. She rested her head on her mate's chest.

Charlie kissed her. "Maybe she's in quarantine."

"Good idea. We'll search for her there."

The couple went in the pipes and swam to quarantine.

When they got there, they asked fish if they have seen their daughter. Unfortunately, they haven't seen her.

Jenny frowned, about to cry again, but Charlie lifted her chin up. "Sweetie, if you cry again, then you'll make me upset. We'll see Dory again, I just know it. Please, try to be happy."

Jenny smiled at her husband's words. "I'm so glad I married you. You're so wise and funny."

Charlie blushed and kissed her. "Thanks, honey."

Jenny thought of something. "The pipes must've lead her into the ocean. We can look for her there."

"Good thinking, honey."

They both swam home, then towards the pipes.

The female looked at the pipes fearfully. "Charlie, I'm scared to go in the ocean. There's a lot of predators out there."

"I know. I'm scared, too. But, we have to do it. Our daughter's out there."

Jenny let out a deep breath. "Okay, here's go nothing."

They went in the pipes, about to go in a new world that would change their lives.


	2. Lost

Chapter 2: Lost

 **Sandrastar1: I'll do more chapters, don't worry.**

Fish were swimming in the kelp forest. Some were enjoying the sunlight on their scales, and some were swimming just to get somewhere. When Dory said, "Hello?", the fish didn't hear her. But, a wife fish heard the voice.

"Hello!" Dory yelled again.

"Did you hear that?" the wife fish asked her husband.

"Hear what?" the husband fish inquired.

"Stanley, I just heard someone say 'hello'," she replied, looking to see the fish who said that.

"Who? I didn't hear anybody say 'hello'," he remarked.

"I don't know, Stan, I just heard someone say 'hello'."

"Yeah, there's a lot of fish here. Anybody, literally anybody could've just said 'hello'."

The wife squinted her eyes to see the fish. She heard the voice again.

"Hello?" little Dory said, searching around.

"There, there! Right there!" She pointed to Dory.

"Where... where am I looking?" Stan asked.

"There!" she answered.

"Hello?" She swam closer to the tiny fry.

"Hello!" She heard the wife fish, but she didn't see her, so she looked around.

"Oh. Hello?" Stan replied.

"Oh my goodness, it's a child." She quickly swam to Dory.

"Hello! Hello!" she exclaimed.

"Hi, kid, over here," Stan said.

"Hi." She approached Dory.

"Hi, I'm Dory. Can you please help me?" she asked with that sweet little voice of hers.

"Oh, hi, Dory," she cooed. "Uh, Dory, are you lost?"

"Where are your parents?" Stan questioned.

"Um, I can't remember," she stated sadly, looking down.

"Oh," the wife said, concerned about Dory.

"We'll look around." Stan looked around, seeing fish swimming. "Uh, are any of these fish your parents?"

She spun around in a circle, looking around. Then, she saw the couple, forgetting what she was doing. "Hi, I'm Dory. Can you please help me?"

They exchanged glances. The wife spoke. "Honey, you just.. you just said that."

"I did?" she asked.

They nodded.

"I'm sorry. I suffer from short term remembry loss." She looked up at the couple sadly with innocent eyes.

"Oh, how awful. Okay, just, you wait here for one second, okay, sweetie pie?" She swam a little bit away from Dory with her husband. "Stan, Stan, Stan! What do we do? The poor thing is lost!"

"I don't know! What do you want me to do?"

"Well, we have to do something! She can't remember a thing!"

"She could come from anywhere," he said. Then, he mumbled a few words.

"Wow. You are.. you are no help today." The female swam back to Dory. "Ah, Dory, sweetie? How 'bout we-"

"Oh, she's gone," Stan said.

"Dory?" she called.

"That's not good," Stan said.

"Dory!" the female yelled.

"Dory?" Stan called.

"Dory!"

They looked for the child, but they never found her.

"I'm Dory," she said to the huge fish, "I lost my family. Can you help me?"

The fish ignored the poor fry, not giving her any help.

"I-I'm Dory. I suffer from short term remembery-" She then gasped when the sea urchins ignored her. She swam away sadly.

Dory hid under a rock. She was very scared. She sang softly to herself. "Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming, just keep swimming. What do we do?" She then cried, missing her family.

Later, Dory gazed up at the stars. The stars reflected in her big, pink eyes. She really hoped to find her family someday.

She then lied down under the same rock from earlier. The child closed her eyes and went to sleep, dreaming about her parents.


	3. New Home

Chapter 3: New Home

 **Sandrastar1: Okay, will do! Thanks for reading! :)**

 **TripleAAA1183: Thank you! I appreciate it! And yeah, I've read that fanfiction. It's good!**

Jenny and Charlie arrived at the big blue. The couple looked around, seeing the new place that they were in.

Jenny had a nervous look in her eyes. Charlie noticed and grasped his wife's fin gently. His wife looked at him and smiled softly. She was really grateful that he was her husband. He was the funny, kind, sweet, and wise fish he was. And she could never ask for a better husband than him.

The female took a deep breath as she looked around the kelp forest. Her magenta eyes then casted on her husband. "Should we start searching for her?"

"Yes, we should," he replied.

Charlie looked around and saw a few fish near the kelp.

"We can ask them," he suggested.

"Okay," Jenny said as they went up to the fish.

"Hey, have you seen our daughter?" Charlie asked.

"She's a small fish that looks like us, and she has big, beautiful magenta eyes," Jenny explained.

One of the kelp fish swam closer to them. "Sorry, I haven't seen her. None of my friends haven't seen her either," she explained.

She looked at her two friends, who nodded.

Jenny frowned. "Oh, okay. Thank you."

The couple left, leaving the fish concerned for them.

Charlie looked at his wife, who now had a determined look on her face.

"We have to keep asking other fish. We can't give up on our daughter."

Charlie smiled. "Okay, let's do it."

Unfortunately, the fish that they had asked haven't seen Dory.

Jenny swam near the sand. She covered her eyes and cried. "Oh, it's hopeless! We'll never find her!"

Charlie swam up to her and stroked her dorsal fin gently. "Honey, we'll find her. It'll just take time."

Jenny looked up at him and hugged him tightly.

He smiled and hugged her back. Then, he yawned hugely. "We have to look for a new home."

"Yeah, but where?" Jenny asked.

Charlie looked around and saw an old tire on the sand. He swam up to it. "This looks like a good home."

Jenny looked at the tire, then all of the space around it. "I like this place. It has a lot of space and an old tire that we can sleep in. And-"

Her magenta eyes gazed down at the sand. She touched its soft and squishy texture with a yellow fin.

 _"I like sand. Sand is squishy."_

Dory's voice appeared in her head. She truly missed her one and only daughter. And she could do anything to get her back.

Suddenly, she had an idea. She and Charlie knew that their beloved daughter loves shells.

 _Shells,_ she thought. She looked at her husband, who was looking around their new home.

"Charlie!" she exclaimed, swimming towards him.

"Honey? What is it?" he asked.

"Charlie, I have this idea! We can lay shells so Dory can follow them! We did it in the institute, and she followed them all by herself. I know that in her mind that she still remembers the shells."

Charlie grinned hugely at his wife. "Jenny, that's a great idea! We can lay out shells first thing in the morning."

"Great." Her mouth opened into a huge yawn.

"Let's get some sleep, dear." He guided Jenny to the tire. They went in and got themselves comfortable.

Jenny yawned again and cuddled next to Charlie. "Goodnight, honey." She kissed him affectionately on the cheek.

Charlie gave her a warm smile and kissed her back. "Goodnight, sweetie."

The female closed her eyes and went to sleep, still cuddling next to her husband.

Charlie closed his eyes as well. The ocean is a big change for him and Jenny, and they could not wait to see their daughter again.


	4. Survival

Chapter 4: Survival

 **A/N: Hi, everyone! I'm back! I'm sorry I haven't updated this since last month. I was busy with school and stuff. I just wanted to say Happy Holidays! I hope you all have a great Christmas, even though it's not Christmas yet. But it's getting close! :D**

 **Sandrastar1: I'll do more soon. :)**

The sun rose high in the sky. Its rays shone in the big, blue ocean. Dory slept peacefully under the rock. The sun's rays shone in her eyes. It bothered her. She wasn't used to the sun since she used to live in the MLI for five years. The fry slowly opened her eyes before yawning and stretching. Her tummy growled. Dory didn't really eat much since she lost her parents. She realized that she has to eat. Dory swam out. She searched around until she found kelp.

"Kelp!" she exclaimed.

She swam to the kelp. She tried to grab some, but she couldn't pull it out. She pulled as hard as she could. The poor fry suddenly bumped into a rock.

"Owwww!" she cried.

Dory looked at her fin. Blood came out of it.

Tears filled in her eyes. It hurted so much. She blew on her wound.

"I wish I knew how to make my boo boo feel better," she said.

She then looked down. There was some kelp on the ground.

She smiled and swam slowly to it. The small fry began eating.

After her meal, she decided to ask some fish who will help her find her family.

Dory looked around, hoping to find fish that will help her. The young fry saw a female flame angelfish. She smiled and swam to her.

"Hello!" she shouted.

The fish stopped swimming. She looked at Dory.

"Oh, hello. What's your name?" she asked.

"My name's Dory! I lost my family. Can you help me, please?"

The female gasped. "Oh, you poor dear. Of course I can help you."

Dory grinned hugely. "Thank you so much!"

"You're welcome. By the way, my name's Allison."

"It's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too, little one. Now, do you remember where you last seen your parents?" Allison asked.

"I don't remember," Dory stated sadly.

"It's okay, sweetie. Let's search around the ocean."

"Okay."

They searched the best they could, but it was no hope.

"I'll never find my parents!" Dory cried.

"Now, honey, don't say that. It'll take a while longer to find them," Allison assured.

Dory sniffed. She lied against Allison.

Allison stroked her softly. She felt bad for the poor fry.

Dory suddenly felt really hungry. She hadn't eaten since morning time. She was so focused about finding her parents, that she forgot to eat. She then looked at her fin. There was still a scratch with blood.

Allison then looked down at Dory's fin. She gasped. "Oh, my goodness! Dory! You... You have a scratch!"

"Yeah. I think I have it from earlier."

"Oh my! I'm so sorry! How did I not see it in the first place? I'll get some kelp to heal your wound." She grabbed some kelp and wrapped it around her fin.

"Feel better, sweetie?" she asked.

"Yes. Thank you."

Allison smiled. "Are you hungry?"

"I'm starving," Dory said.

The female chuckled. "Let's get some dinner."

Meanwhile, a hungry barracuda was searching for some fish to eat. The barracuda stopped. He sniffed, getting scent. He licked his jaws and swam fastly towards the scent.

"Mmm. That was a good dinner," Allison said.

"Yeah," Dory agreed. She then heard a growling sound.

"Do you hear that?" Dory asked.

"Hear what, Dory?"

"There was this growling sound. It sounded scary."

"Maybe it was just your imagination, hon."

"Maybe it was."

Allison's eyes widened when she heard the same growl. "I hear the growling sound!"

Dory shook in fright. She hid behind Allison.

The barracuda saw them. He roared and chased them.

They both screamed loudly. Allison picked up Dory and swam as fast as she could. She found a cave. She placed Dory in there and protected her.

Dory cried. She hugged Allison tightly.

"Shh, it's okay." Allison hugged her.

Allison then went out. She gasped when she the barracuda stood in front of her. He licked his jaws.

"Allison!" Dory cried.

Allison tried to swim for it, but it was too late. The barracuda grabbed her into his mouth and ate her. Screams filled out as the barracuda crushed her bones.

Dory's eyes was as big as ever when she saw the scene. Tears was leaking out of her eyes, and she screamed.

The barracuda gulped dead Allison down before swimming away.

Dory cried to sleep. She wanted to forget the most terrifying thing that happened to her besides being sucked away by the undertow.

Months later...

Little Dory learned to survive on her own. As much as she knew how to survive on her own, she still needed her parents. She truly missed them, and she could do anything to get them back.

Dory finished her meal. She swam up to the surface to go look at the stars.

Dory took a deep breath. She would've loved doing this with her parents.

After looking at the stars she lied down in a cave and went to sleep. She hoped to find her parents someday. She'll stay determined no matter what.


	5. A Helping Fin

Chapter 5: A Helping Fin

 **Sandrastar1: Thank you! And yeah, the poor fry. Rest in peace, Allison.**

Dory was now seven years old. For two years she had been knowing how to survive. Since last year, she forgot what she was looking for. The young fish saw a couple of teenage fish. They were both girls, and they were talking to each other.

Dory swam to them. "Hello! I'm Dory, and I suffer from short term memory loss!"

They both gasped. "Oh, that's terrible!" one of them said.

"I need help. I'm looking for somebody, but I don't know who," she explained.

The teenagers exchanged glances.

"I'm sorry, but we don't think we can help you."

"Yeah, sorry."

"Oh." Dory frowned. "It's okay. I'll just ask somebody else." She swam away.

She sighed sadly. Dory suddenly perked up. She heard a roaring sound.

Her heart was beating fast. She turned around and saw a barracuda coming right at her. The poor fish screamed at the top of her gills. She swam fastly.

The barracuda chased her, roaring at the process.

Dory hid in a small cave. The barracuda tried to get in a cave, but it was too small for him. He tried to eat Dory.

Dory shook in fright, her heart pounding in her chest.

A Moorish Idol was swimming around until he heard a roar. He looked and gasped when he saw the barracuda trying to eat Dory.

The Moorish Idol was not afraid. He glared his eyes at the barracuda before picking up a small rock. He swam towards the barracuda.

"Hey, barracuda!" he called.

The barracuda turned around. He saw the Moorish Idol holding a rock.

"Leave her alone, you big bully!" He threw the rock hard. It hitted the barracuda.

The barracuda roared in pain. He swam away.

Dory stood there in shock. She looked at the fish.

He smiled and swam to Dory. "It's alright. You can come out now."

The forgetful fish slowly came out. She smiled and hugged him. "Thank you so much! I thought I was gonna be eaten!"

The male smiled. "No problem, kid."

"My name's Dory. I suffer from short term memory loss."

The Moorish Idol frowned. "I'm sorry for your disability. My name's Gill."

"It's nice to meet you, Gilly." Dory smiled.

Gill blushed. "It's Gill. But you can call me Gilly."

Dory smiled hugely before saying, "I lost someone. But I don't remember who. Can you please help me?"

"Sure. How long did you know this fish?"

"Hmm... I don't remember, but something tells me that I known this fish since I was born."

Gill thought for a moment. Then he gave a gasp. "Dory, you didn't loose one fish. You lost two! You lost your parents!"

Dory suddenly remembered. "Oh my gosh! I did loose my parents!"

Gill smiled. "Excellent! We'll start looking for them right now."

"Yay!" Dory exclaimed.

The two began searching.

It had been hours, and there was no luck.

Dory sighed. She settled down a sponge bed.

"Now, now, Dory. Don't get upset. We'll search for them another time." Gill stroked her.

"But I miss them, Gilly. I really miss them."

"I know, kid. I promise we'll search for them another time."

The forgetful fish smiled.

"If you want, I can stay with you until you find your family. That way you won't be alone," he explained.

"Really?" she asked.

"Yes, really. I can even teach you how to defend yourself and be dependent so you can take care of yourself if I'm not there."

Dory hugged him tightly. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Gill giggled. "Anytime, kid. Now, do you want me to teach you now?"

"Yes," she replied.

"Okay. So, if an attacker makes like a punching gesture with their fins, be prepared. Get ready to fight. I'll show you a couple of fighting moves."

Dory watched Gill.

Gill's fins curled up into balls. He did some punches. He then swung his tail, hitting against a sponge bed.

"Wow! Cool!" Dory exclaimed.

"And if the attacker's moves get impossible, swim away as fast as you can."

Dory nodded.

"And if someone grabs you, you either punch them in the face, or bite them. Also, if you fall, fall on top of your attacker and aim for their face."

"Okay. Any more?" Dory asked.

"Yes, there's one more thing you should know. You should poke an attacker's eyes. No one can defend an eye poke."

Dory smiled. "Thank you for teaching me all this stuff, but are you sure I'll remember all of them?"

"I'm sure you will. Tomorrow, I'll teach you how to be independent."

"Alright, thank you." She then looked up at the surface.

The young blue tang grabbed his fin. "Come on, I want to show you something."

They swam up to the surface. They poked their heads out of the water.

Gill's eyes widened as he saw the sky filled with bright stars. "Oh, my... This is beautiful."

"I know. I always look at the stars."

Gill smiled hugely as he stared at the night sky with his new friend.


	6. Routine

Chapter 6: Routine

 **Sandrastar1: Yeah, it is cool. And I'll do more chapters soon.**

Jenny and Charlie were sleeping in their new home. The tire was comfortable for them to sleep in, but it was never better than the cave in the MLI. At least the tire was better than sleeping in nothing.

Charlie shifted in his sleep a little before he woke up. His mouth gaped into a yawn. He then stretched, arching his back up like a cat. He saw his sleeping wife next to him. The male smiled and kissed her gently. Charlie's stomach growled. Hunger was seeking in fast. Since they were now in the ocean, finding food was going to be a little bit of a challenge for them. Luckily, they were next to a kelp forest, so they were fine.

Charlie swam to the kelp to get some breakfast. Once he got there, he grabbed some kelp. He started to swim back to the tire, but a fish bumped into him, which caused him to drop the kelp.

The fish gasped. "Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!"

Charlie rubbed his head. "It's okay, it was an accident." Charlie began to pick up the kelp.

"I'll help you," the queen angelfish offered.

"Thank you." Charlie smiled.

"Again, I'm so sorry. I thought I saw a shark, so that is why I was swimming so fast," she explained.

"It's alright." Charlie then began to look a little scared. He never saw a shark before. He heard that sharks were one of the most dangerous predators back in the MLI.

"Are you okay? You look a little scared," the fish asked, concerned.

"Yeah, I'm okay. It's just I've never seen a shark before. I'm new to the ocean."

"Welcome to the ocean! And yeah, sharks can be scary."

Charlie smiled before he realized something. "Oh, I forgot to tell you my name. I'm Charlie."

"It's nice to meet you, Charlie. I'm Poppy."

"It's nice to meet you too, Poppy. I have a wife named Jenny. She's sleeping right now."

"Oh, that's nice. I have a husband named Samuel. We have 40 beautiful children."

"That's cool." Charlie's stomach growled again. He blushed.

Poppy chuckled. "Sounds like you need to eat breakfast."

"Yeah, I do. I'll talk to you another time. Jenny will love to meet you."

"Yeah, I'll love to meet her too! I'll come back tomorrow."

"Alright. Bye!"

"Bye!" Poppy swam away.

Charlie smiled and swam to the tire. He placed the kelp in front of the tire.

Jenny opened up her eyes. She yawned.

"Morning, Jenny," Charlie said.

"Morning, Charlie."

Charlie gave her some kelp. "I met a fish a few minutes ago. Her name is Poppy. She is really nice." Charlie grabbed a piece of kelp and ate it.

"That's neat. I'd love to meet her."

"She said she'll be here tomorrow," Charlie stated.

"Great." Jenny smiled and ate her kelp.

"So, are you ready to lay out shells?" Charlie asked.

"Yes, I'm ready. I'm so excited!" Jenny beamed.

Charlie giggled and continued eating.

After breakfast, Jenny and Charlie were getting ready to collect shells.

"You ready?" Charlie inquired.

"Yes," Jenny replied.

"Okay. Let's do it."

The couple searched for shells.

Later, they collected some shells.

Charlie placed the shells down. "Alright, let's make this shell path."

Jenny and Charlie made half of the shell path.

"This shell path looks good so far," Jenny said.

"I agree. We'll finish the shell path tomorrow."

"I really like this routine. This'll definitely bring Dory back to us," Jenny said.

"Yeah, it will." Charlie grinned.

"Hey, let's explore this place. I want to get used to it," Jenny suggested.

"Okay, honey. I want to know this place better."

Charlie grabbed Jenny's fin.

Jenny smiled. They began to explore the place, wondering what interesting things were in there.


	7. Lesson

Chapter 7: Lesson

 **A/N: The independent lesson is from wiki how. I didn't copy the whole thing, just part of it.**

 **Sandrastar1: Thank you. :)**

"Dory," Gill said gently, shaking the young forgetful fish, "time to get up."

The blue tang opened her magenta eyes. She yawned. "Morning, Gilly."

"Morning. Are you ready for your lesson?"

"What lesson?" Dory asked.

"I'm going to teach you how to be independent," Gill told her.

"Oh, okay! Yeah, I'm ready."

"Okay, good. First and foremost, you have to accept yourself for who you are. Make an effort to be a better you and love yourself. It will keep you from trying to act like someone else."

"Okay. Seems like good advice. Anything else?"

"You have to believe in yourself. We are all different. Nobody's the same. If you don't have faith in yourself, you will always second guess yourself. So, step away from that."

Dory nodded, catching all of the information. She then saw a sea worm. "Hey, little fella." She giggled and chased it.

Gill sighed. "I'll teach her more later."

"Dory," he then said.

She stopped what she was doing. "Oh no. Did I forget again?"

"Yes, you did. But don't worry, I'll teach you it later."

"Huh? What did you teach me?" she asked.

"How to be independent," he answered.

"Oh, right!"

The Moorish idol chuckled a bit.

"Gilly, can I have a snack? My tummy's getting growly."

"Sure."

"Okay. Thanks!" The young tang swam off.

Gill watched her and sighed. "I hope she'll be alright living by herself."

Dory swam, humming to herself. She saw some juicy kelp coming to her path. She licked her lips.

The forgetful fish sunk her teeth into the kelp. She ate it.

As she ate, she heard something on the surface. She noticed fishes swimming away. Her magenta eyes cast on the boat. With curiosity, she swam towards it.

Gill saw her and gasped. "Dory, no!" He swam to her and grabbed her.

"Gilly? What's wrong?" Dory asked.

"You were heading towards the boat!" he exclaimed.

"So? Is that dangerous?"

"Of course it's dangerous! Did your parents ever told you?"

"Uh... I don't remember."

Gill sighed. He didn't want to upset her, but he knew that going to a boat is dangerous, and he cared about her.

"Dory," he began to say, "boats are really dangerous. They can kill you. It's worse if there are humans on boats."

Dory's eyes widened, listening.

"If there are humans, then they are most likely to catch you. And most of them are more likely to eat fishes. Some of them take pictures of sea life."

"So, you're telling me that humans are dangerous?" Dory asked.

"Well, not all of them are. Just be careful next time, okay?"

"Okay, Gilly."

Gill smiled. "Are you ready to continue the lesson about how to be independent?"

"Yep!"

"Alright."

Gill loved teaching Dory lessons, even if she forgets. He just hoped that the young fish would survive on her own without him.


	8. A Swim

Chapter 8: A Swim

 **Sandrastar1: As always, I'll do more.**

Jenny woke up very early in the morning. She turned to her sleeping husband. Charlie was fast asleep, snoring.

Jenny giggled. It has been a couple weeks since they've been doing their routine. Jenny loved doing it. It was the only way to bring their baby girl back home. She gently shook Charlie.

Charlie felt fins on him. He slowly woke up. He yawned.

"Morning, Charlie!" Jenny said.

"Honey, it's too early to get up," Charlie said sleepily.

"I know, honey, but I'm just so eager that I can't even sleep in."

Charlie giggled. "Alright. Let's do this."

Later, they've finished the third path of shells that were leading to their home.

"It looks great, honey!" Jenny said.

"Yeah. This'll definitely bring Dory home." Charlie smiled.

Jenny grabbed Charlie's fin. "Wanna go for a swim?"

"Sure! I really need the exercise," Charlie replied.

"Okay, let's go."

As they swam, they saw other fishes.

Jenny waved to some of them, trying to be friendly.

Some of them smiled and waved.

Jenny grinned. She sighed happily. "It feels so nice to just swim out here."

Charlie nodded in agreement. He then realized that they didn't had breakfast yet.

"Jenny, we need to eat breakfast."

"Oh! I completely forgot about breakfast," Jenny admitted.

Charlie saw some juicy kelp.

"Let's eat that kelp."

They swam over to the kelp and ate their fill.

After breakfast, they continued on their swim.

Jenny saw a child with her mother.

The child and mother giggled and hugged.

Jenny frowned. She sighed.

Charlie placed a fin on her chin.

"Honey, it'll be okay," he assured.

"You're right. It's just that I miss Dory so much."

"I know. I miss her too." He hugged her.

Jenny smiled.

Later, they returned home. Charlie had something behind his back: it was a pearl. He decided to pick that up on the way home.

Jenny swam to the tire. She rested there.

"Jenny, I have something for you," Charlie told her.

"Oh, how wonderful. What is it?" Jenny asked.

Charlie took the pearl out.

Jenny gasped. "Oh, Charlie!"

"Jenny, you are the best wife that I ever had. You are caring, sweet, and beautiful. Not to mention a great mother."

Jenny's eyes watered a little. She took the pearl. "It's beautiful." She kissed Charlie's cheek. "Thank you so much. Those words that you said are so sweet. You mean everything to me."

Charlie kissed her. "I love you."

She hugged him. "I love you too."

Later...

The moon was shining brightly.

The couple saw the shine in the water.

"The moon is quite bright tonight," Charlie said.

"It must be a full moon." Jenny swam up to the surface.

Charlie swam up with her before looking at the full moon. He sighed happily.

"You know what this reminds me of?" Charlie said.

"What?" Jenny replied.

"Our teenage years. We used to dance in the moonlight."

"I remember that. Those were the days." Jenny leaned on him.

Charlie looked at her. "Do you wanna dance with me?"

"Oh, Charlie, I'd love to!"

Charlie smiled as he held Jenny's fins. They started dancing.

Jenny smiled hugely, happily dancing with her husband.

As they danced, the moonlight shined brighter. They danced gracefully together throughout the night.


	9. A Thoughtful Gift

Chapter 9: A Thoughtful Gift

 **Sandrastar1: Thank you! :)**

It had been three weeks since Dory known Gill, and he had been teaching her on how to be independent and learning how to fight for herself. The young tang was so lucky to have Gill; she had a disability, and it would never be cured. The Moorish idol was glad to help out on Dory. He wished her the best of luck in her future living on her own.

The two fish were having a lovely afternoon swim. The sun's rays reflected on the beautiful crystal clear blue water, making it even more beautiful than before. It then managed to beam down on Gill's scales.

Dory looked at his scales, distracted by them.

Gill noticed. "Uh, Dory?"

The young, forgetful blue tang was still in awe of his shimmering scales, not noticing him speaking to her.

"Dory, are you okay?"

Dory got out of her trance. "Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm okay! Sorry, I was looking at your scales. They are pretty when the sun's rays are on them."

The Moorish idol chuckled. "I guess they are."

Dory giggled, but then frowned.

"Hey, what's wrong, Dory?" Gill asked, placing a fin on her back.

"I still miss my parents. I.. I want to keep searching for them," Dory replied.

"Aww, okay, kid. Your parents still must be worried sick about you."

"I bet they are."

"Don't worry. I'm sure we'll find your parents soon." Gill smiled.

Dory smiled back at him. Gill was a great friend, and she knew that he would never let her down.

"Hey. Let's ask some fish if they've seen your parents," Gill said.

"Okay, Gilly."

Gill saw a fish couple swimming towards them. "Excuse me, but have you seen her parents?" he asked, looking at Dory a little bit.

The wife fish looked at little Dory. "Sorry, dear. We haven't."

"I hope you'll find them soon," the husband fish said to Dory before the fish couple swam away.

Dory frowned and sighed.

"Hey, it's okay, Dory. We can't give up."

"What if we never find them?" Dory worried, starting to cry.

Gill hugged her. "Kid, listen to me. If you give up and keep thinking negative, then it's a chance that you'll never find them. But if you keep trying and think positive, then it's certain that you'll find them."

Dory wiped her tears away and sniffed. "You're right, Gilly. Oh, I'm so glad to have a friend like you!" She hugged him.

Gill blushed. "Aww, I'm glad to be your friend too, Dory." He patted her on the head.

The young blue tang smiled. She wouldn't imagine what she would do if Gill wasn't around. She would've lost hope and give up, but with him, that would most likely never happen. Dory hoped that he would stay with her as long as he lived.

"Let's keep asking for fish if they have seen my parents!" Dory said determinedly.

"Okay! Let's do it!"

* * *

Dory's small stomach growled. It had been a while of asking fish if they've seen her parents, and they hadn't eaten in a few hours.

"Gilly, I'm hungry," Dory said. Her big, magenta eyes looked at him.

"I am too. And I'm a little tired. Let's stop for a bit to eat and rest."

The two swam off to a small bunch of kelp.

Gill grabbed a piece and ate it. He gave some to Dory.

"Thanks." Dory ate.

"Mmm! So juicy! It's yummy in my tummy!" She rubbed her tummy.

Gill giggled. "I'm glad you like it. Hope that your tummy doesn't get big in the next hour." He tickled her belly.

Dory laughed. "Hey! I'm not gonna eat _all_ of it!"

Gill chuckled. "I'm just joking, kid."

Dory ate more kelp. "Kelp is my favorite thing to eat! It's so good!"

"Kelp is good, but I'm more of an algae kind of fish. It's good in my opinion."

"Algae is... okay, but it's not as tasty as kelp!" Dory ate another small piece of kelp.

Gill chuckled a bit. _Oh, I love this kid._

Dory ate a bit more until her tummy felt full. She burped.

"Excuse me! Boy, that kelp was delicious! Now, I'm..." she yawned, "tired."

Gill yawned himself. "I'm tired myself. Let's both take a nap."

* * *

Dory woke up from her nap. She yawned and stretched. She saw Gill sleeping next to her. He looked so peaceful.

Dory smiled at him before looking around the ocean. She saw something that stuck out to her: a yellow shell.

The forgetful tang, interested, swam over to it.

"Pretty.." she said.

The yellow shell looked small enough for her to carry, so she picked it up.

Meanwhile, Gill woke up. He wiped the sleep off from his eyes and yawned. "Hey, Dory. Had a nice-" He noticed her missing.

"Dory?" He looked around.

"Oh no! Dory!" he yelled, swimming out to look for her. He was worried that she wandered off somewhere and got lost.

Dory heard Gill. "Gilly! Look what I found!"

"Dory! Oh, you had me worried, kid!" He swam up to her.

Dory giggled. "I found a shell!"

"That's a beautiful shell, but Dory, don't you ever wander off from me ever again. I was scared."

She frowned. "I'm sorry, Gilly. It's just that I'm interested in the shell."

Gill sighed. "It's alright, kid. At least you're safe."

Dory smiled, looking at the shell. She thought for a moment before looking at her friend. "Gilly?"

"Yes?"

Dory gave the shell to him. "I want you to have this shell. It's a friendship gift from me. I want to say thank you for being my friend, and caring for me."

Gill was flattered. "Dory... you... you don't have to do this."

"But I want to. You deserve it. You're my special friend." She hugged him.

Gill felt warmth throughout his body. "Kid... I.. I don't know what to say. T-thank you."

Dory giggled. "You're welcome!"

Gill wiped a few tears from his eyes.

"Are you crying, Gilly?"

"No.. no.. just had to get something out of my eye."

"Sure..."

Gill blushed. "Instead of asking for fish if they have seen your parents, wanna go search for them ourselves?"

"Yeah!" Dory exclaimed.

"Alright! Lead the way, Dory!"

Dory giggled in delight, taking off.

Gill smiled and placed the yellow shell next to a rock. He would remember to find it there.

"Hey, Dory! Wait up!" he yelled out to her, swimming after her.


	10. Somewhere Out There

Chapter 10: Somewhere Out There

 **A/N: Sorry that I haven't been updating for three months. I have writer's block, and my friend is helping me with ideas. Now, if any of you have been confused about the chapters of Jenny and Charlie, the chapters took place before Dory met Gill. I'm sorry, I should've said that or at least told you the chapters took place in another time period. My writing was not really that good back then, but now, my writing has been better. I've improved as a writer and author. I've even managed to write a story that has over 8,000 words, which is big for me. So, my writing has been pretty good if I do say so myself. Now, this chapter is now at its regular time period. Jenny and Charlie have now been making shell trails for two years now.**

 **Sandrastar1: Thanks!**

Another day of laying out shells...

Jenny heaved as she carried a bunch of shells in her yellow fins. The shells caused her to swim slowly, but she did her best to try to swim her way back home. Charlie was right beside her, making sure she was doing okay of carrying the heavy weights of shells. He was carrying loads of shells himself, but unlike his wife, he was quite fine with doing it. He struggled a little bit, but not as much as his wife. He had a stronger build than her, and he was stronger than her.

"Are you sure you're alright, honey?" Charlie asked.

"Yes, Charlie, I'm fine," she said in between breaths.

Charlie looked a bit skeptical but shrugged. "Okay, if you say so."

Jenny's magenta eyes lit up as she saw the unfinished trails of shell paths and the worn out tire.

"Finally, we made it. I thought home was much farther away."

Her husband gave her a confused look. "Uh, Jenny, you know the way back home. We lived here for two years now. Clearly, you know the way home by now."

Jenny blushed a bit, realizing how ridiculous she sounded. "I-I'm sorry, dear. I-It's just that-"

"Shh, Jenny." Charlie rubbed against her a little bit, trying not to drop the shells. "It's okay. You can tell me later."

Jenny sighed. "Okay."

* * *

Little Dory played in the sand. She giggled as she placed her face and body in it. She rolled around in it, feeling the rough, squishy texture. The playful tang squealed in delight, having fun.

Gill, not too far from the distance, watched the forget little tang having fun. He watched her laughing and having fun. The Moorish Idol couldn't help but smile. Just seeing her having fun reminded him of how much fun he used to have as a kid. Plus, he felt like a father figure to her. He made sure she didn't get hurt, made sure she had enough to eat, and other things a loving and caring parent would do for their child.

He watched a little before his smile gradually fell into a frown. He really felt sorry for the poor child. Her losing her family at such a young age? That was a really scary thought for any child. A child's parents are the most important people in their lives, and if one would ever lose them, they wouldn't know what to do. A parent would react the same way. Their children are the most important, beautiful, people in their lives. They will do anything for them, and they will do anything they can to make sure their children are healthy and happy. Their children are the most beautiful thing they've ever created. As parents, they will have to learn how to teach them about different things, about the world. They also will have to know how to take care of them themselves. That's the most important role of being a parent.

Gill briefly thought of his parents. He remembered all the good times and memories they had together. Now, Gill didn't lose his parents or they didn't die, thankfully, but he moved out of their house because he was getting too old to stay there. He was sad about moving out, his parents were too, but it was the right thing to do. It was just part of growing up. Parents can't just take care of their children forever, they have to grow up. It's not Neverland. Growing up is a part of life.

The Idol lost his train of thought and watched Dory again.

Dory stopped playing when she noticed him. "Hi, Gilly! Wanna play in the sand with me?"

"No thanks, kid. I'm too old for that stuff," he remarked.

Dory laughed. "Oh, Gilly, you're not too old!"

"Yes I am. Playing in the sand is a kids thing. And you're a kid."

Dory rolled her eyes. "Everyone can have fun playing in the sand. It's not just for kids."

"But still, I don't wanna play in the sand."

"Pleeeaassseeee?" she asked with huge, pleading eyes.

Gill sighed. He couldn't resist that little face of hers. "Alright, but only because you're so cute."

"Yay! Thank you!" She smiled.

Gill chuckled and swam over to her.

Dory continued to play in the sand. Gill joined in.

They played for like ten minutes, even though it felt like hours to Dory. Gill got up from the sand and shook the little grains off.

"You know what, Dory?" he said to her.

"What?" Dory said, still energetic.

"You're an unforgettable little girl."

That comment made the tang stop. Bits of sand spiraled around her for a moment.

"I-I am?" she asked.

"Yes, you are. You are an amazing kid to hang out with. Also, you have a really good personality. I love how optimistic you are."

"What does that mean?" Dory tilted her head a little.

"It means you always think about good things and don't worry about bad things. Some people are pessimistic, which means they always think about the negative and bad things. But you... you are really cheerful and bright. I love that about you."

The little girl blushed at what he said and looked down. She didn't know what to say.

Gill placed a fin on her chin and lifted her head up. "Don't ever change, kid, okay?"

"Okay, Gilly."

Gill grinned and patted her on the head.

Dory suddenly hugged him. She was thankful about him taking care of her. She wouldn't depend on any other fish but him and her parents.

Gill hugged back. He smiled at the loving child.

"Thank you for taking care of me, Gilly."

"You're welcome, Dory. You're welcome."

* * *

Jenny and Charlie finished halfway on another shell path. They decided they were done collecting shells for the day, so they decided to rest after they finished.

Jenny sighed in relief. She wanted to take a break. She had to admit, she was getting tired of this shell process. That didn't mean she was tired of trying to get her little girl back. She would even cut her own fin off if it means she was gonna get her child back soon.

When they first started collecting shells, Jenny would get so excited. She would wake up early morning, even trying to get Charlie out of bed. Jenny would usually get a lot of shells in her fins, and that time, she didn't even care. Heck, she even swam fast with her fins full. That showed how important her daughter was for her, and she knew making shell paths would definitely lead her baby girl right back to her. The process kept on exciting her day after day. She was determined to get Dory back right home to her and her husband. She was even carrying more shells than the stronger Charlie was. Each day was an adventure for them.

Every day they would keep continuing the process. Collecting more and more shells cause Jenny to grew tired. At one point, she wanted to give up, but Charlie encouraged her to keep going. She still wanted Dory to come back home, but each day, she waited for her to just swim right up to them and hug them the biggest hug she could ever give. All Jenny really wanted was to keep Dory in her and Charlie's fins and hug her for eternity. She wanted her daughter back so much, she _needed_ her back. Every day, Jenny waited for her to show up, but she wouldn't. If she had to keep living like this for every day, every hour, every minute, every second, then she was gonna break down and just stop having hope and faith. Dory being lost was the mother's worst nightmare. It had been two years and Dory still hadn't shown up. Jenny swore she was gonna have a heart attack. She feared for the worst of what would happen to her innocent, beloved daughter.

The couple swam inside the tire. They wanted to rest for a bit.

Charlie suddenly remembered something. "Oh, Jenny. I just remembered that you have something to tell to me. Remember earlier?"

His wife frowned. "Oh... Right..."

Charlie placed a fin around her. "It's alright, honey. You know you can tell me anything."

Jenny took a deep breath. She then let it out. "Okay, Charlie."

Charlie waited for his wife on what she had to say.

"I'm... I'm getting tired of collecting shells!" she cried out.

Charlie didn't react, he just stroked his wife's back gently. "Can you tell me why?" he asked gently.

"We do it every day, Charlie! It's getting so tedious and exhausting! It's been two years, Charlie! Two years! What if she never comes here? Most parents have their children safe at home with them, and we are just living right here in the open sea, not knowing where in the world she is! There are many predators in the ocean, Charlie! What if she gets eaten by a shark? What if she gets stung by a jellyfish? She doesn't know how to live out here, Charlie! She's just a child! And with her memory loss, I bet it's even harder for her to live and strive out here! I'm just... I'm just so worried and terrified for her!" Jenny broke down into tears. She covered her worried eyes with her fins. At this point, she had officially lost hope.

Her husband watched her cry. He immediately felt sympathetic for her. He wrapped his fins around her body and gave her soft, comforting words. "Shh, honey. It's alright. I'm worried just as you are. Sure it's been two years, but we shouldn't give up. Never."

Jenny kept on crying. "But, what if she never comes?"

"She will, Jen. The ocean is a really big place. It might even take her years for her to come back to us." Charlie nuzzled her lovingly.

"Oh, wow. That just makes me even sadder. Thank you for not cheering me up." Jenny wept even louder.

Charlie sighed. "Darling, I'm sorry. I'm just saying. Look, I'm saying that we have to keep trying, even if it's so tiring for us. We can't give up on Dory. Ever. We just have to keep swimming."

His wife perked up a little at their motto. Her crying quieted down a little.

Charlie wiped her tears away. "We created her, Jenny. She's the best thing that's ever happened to us. She's our family. She's our little Kelpcake."

Jenny sniffed and looked up innocently at her husband. "Y-you're right, Charlie. No matter what happens, we will always keep trying. Maybe one day she will come back to us."

Charlie kissed her. "That's my Jenny."

Jenny smiled. Her eyes then drooped a bit. "Let's rest for a while."

"I'm right with you, dear. I'm getting tired."

The couple then snuggled up and within moments, they fell asleep.

* * *

Hours had passed. Dory was still playing. She would keep herself busy until she had gotten tired.

Gill watched her in astonishment. "Geez, Dory, do you ever get tired?"

Dory giggled. "I just like to play."

"Well don't play for much longer now. It's almost bedtime."

"Awwww!" she whined.

"You'll keep playing tomorrow," he assured.

"Okay. Gilly, can you play hide and seek with me?"

"Sure, kiddo."

After playing hide and seek and a few other games for almost an hour, it was time for bed.

The young blue tang began to yawn.

"Now you're tired!" Gill said.

"Yeah. I'm really sleepy." Dory began to nuzzle up against Gill.

The older fish guided her into bed. "Off to bed, young lady."

The two went into the small cave that they usually slept in.

Dory got herself comfortable and snuggled up to Gill. "Goodnight, Gilly."

Gill looked down at her. "Goodnight, Dory." He stroked her before snuggling Dory. He tiredly closed his eyes.

Dory closed her eyes as well. A sudden flash of her parents came up in her head. She could see them and herself playing together. She realized how much she missed her family. Not seeing them for two years was too much for her. Even if she had Gill, she still felt lonely without her parents. The two people that she loved and cared for the most was gone. It was like they didn't exist anymore to the poor child.

Realizing it was a lot to take in, she opened her eyes. Tears welled up in her pink eyes. She silently began to cry, careful not to wake Gill up. She loved her parents so much, and them not being with her anymore made her heart break. Dory wanted nothing more than to just be in their fins. She would feel protected and safe. Being in their fins made her feel warm and fuzzy inside, and warm in general. She would never be harmed in her parents' fins.

Dory wiped her tears away and sniffled. "Maybe I should see the stars," she said quietly. "Maybe that will make me feel better."

With that, little Dory swam up to the surface, leaving a sleeping Gill behind.

The fish rose to the surface, her body peeked up from the water. She saw the sparkly, glimmering stars with her huge magenta eyes. They beautifully reflected on them.

Dory looked at the wonderful pieces of art. It was really mesmerizing to her. The stars looked small to her, but in reality, they were really big balls of gases, like the sun. The stars were really her favorite sight to see. They were like sparkling diamonds in the sky. They had a silver color to them, and they were light years away from Earth. They were like distant angels in the sky, watching you from above.

She then thought of her beloved parents. They would've loved the stars just as much as she did. Another unforgettable memory would've been created at this very moment. Two loving parents and their child looking at the bunches of bright, sparkling gases of stars.

The stars twinkled in her big, magenta eyes. She slowly closed them and exhaled gently. She then opened them. Stars were reflected in her eyes once again. Sweetly and gently, with a high pitched voice, Dory began to sing.

 _"Somewhere out there_

 _Beneath the pale moonlight_

 _Someone's thinking of me_

 _And loving me tonight."_

Outside the MLI, Jenny swam out of the old tire. She looked back at her sleeping husband before swimming towards the surface. She popped up, showing her face and part of her body. With the same beautiful magenta eyes as her daughter, she looked up at the dark, night sky. The sky was lit up with hundreds of sparkling, twinkling silver stars. She took the amazing and beautiful moment in before singing in an angelic voice.

 _"Somewhere out there_

 _Someone's saying a prayer_

 _That we'll find one another_

 _In that big somewhere out there_

 _And even though I know how very far apart we are_

 _It helps to think we might be wishing on the same bright star."_

Where Dory was, she sang again.

 _"And when the night wind starts to sing a lonesome lullaby_

 _It helps to think we're sleeping underneath the same big sky."_

Dory and Jenny both sang, creating a melodic rhythm. The love that they shared together stayed within them. Without them knowing that they were singing to each other made the scene even more powerful because they were both creating a moment together as mother and daughter. It was a hidden moment that they both produced, and they didn't know this sweet song they sang together was a special song that they made up together without even realizing one was singing.

 _"Somewhere out there_

 _If love can see us through_

 _Then we'll be together_

 _Somewhere out there_

 _Out where dreams_

 _Come true..."_

Jenny swam down from the surface and went back to her home. She swam herself in a circle a couple times before snuggling up next to Charlie.

"I really hope you come back to us soon, baby girl," Jenny whispered before falling asleep.

Back to Dory, she came back to the small cave. She cuddled against Gill. A small tear escaped her right eye. The poor blue tang missed her parents very much. She hoped she could see them really soon.

Dory took some time to fall asleep. She wanted her parents more than anything else. It would be a miracle if she would wake up the next morning with her parents looking at her ecstatically. But she knew it was impossible for that to happen. Her parents were outside of the MLI, living in an old tire. She was completely oblivious of what they were doing to get her back. The child knew they would see each other again one day and become a small happy family that they once were.

 **Disclaimer: I do not own the song "Somewhere Out There." It is owned by Disney, and it is in the movie "An American Tail."**


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